How to Tell Real Leather from Fake: The Checks That Actually Settle It

To tell real leather from fake, read what the label and the material line say, then look at a cut edge or the back of the material. Real leather shows a fibrous, suede-like back; most fakes show a fabric or microfiber base. Grain, smell and feel are only supporting clues, because real leather can be embossed to look uniform and faux leather is made to copy a grain.

This guide is part of our hub on identifying real leather. It ranks the checks by how much they prove, then covers buying online.

Checks ranked by what they prove

Use the first two together. Treat the rest as reasons to look closer, not as verdicts.

1. Read the label and the material line

What US labels should say

Under the FTC Leather Guides, material that looks like leather but is not should be disclosed, for example as "Imitation leather", "Simulated leather", "Vinyl" or "Plastic". If leather is backed with another material that you cannot see, that should be disclosed too, as in "Top Grain Cowhide Backed With Vinyl".

The guides cover bags, wallets, footwear, belts and similar goods. Garments such as jackets are not in their list, so read jacket listings with extra care.

Words that mean it is not leather

Artificial leather goes by many names: leatherette, imitation leather, vegan leather, PU leather, pseudoleather and pleather. Leather Collection's French blog adds "leather-look", PU and PVC to the warning words.

Words that need a follow-up question

• Genuine leather. Real leather, but not a grade. It often means heavily processed split leather. Ask which layer of the hide was used. Our guide to split leather vs genuine leather explains the layers.
• Bonded leather. Shredded leather fibers bound into a sheet. In the US it should not be sold as plain leather, and the label should state the share of leather fibers.
• "Leather with … grain". When real leather is embossed to look like another kind, the guides say the real kind should be named first, e.g. "Top Grain Cowhide With Simulated Pigskin Grain".

Shoes: labels by part

Shoes are labeled by part: the upper, the lining and sock, and the outersole. A US label can read "Upper of manmade materials and leather".

In the EU, under Directive 94/11/EC, the label names the material that makes up at least 80% of each part, using pictograms or words. EU rules count split hides as leather, but fibers or powder pressed into sheets are not leather.

2. Look at a cut edge or the back

The edge is where construction shows. Leather is a hide: under the grain sits the more fibrous corium. Faux leather is a plastic coating cast on embossed paper and bonded to a fabric layer.

On many faux leathers made for clothing, that base is a non-woven microfiber. As some faux leathers wear, the microfiber shows through with a nap that can look like suede.

Do not mistake a lining for a fabric base.

A separate lining sewn inside a real leather garment is normal. Look for an unlined seam allowance or hem where you can see the back of the outer material. Jackets get their own walkthrough in how to tell if a jacket is real leather.

3. Surface, smell and feel: supporting clues only

Most guides tell you to look for uneven pores. That helps less than it sounds.

Corrected grain leather is sanded, dyed and embossed for a uniform look. Faux leather is cast against embossed paper designed to copy top-grain texture.

Sources disagree on what an even pattern means:

Smell and feel work the same way. The finish, dye and coating change both, so treat them as supporting impressions only. Textures such as pebbled leather are a common case where real and fake look alike.

Tests to skip: lighter, water and fingernail

Flame, water-drop and fingernail tests are popular in other guides. Leather Collection's blog calls them neither reliable nor safe on a finished item, and warns they can leave permanent marks.

If you own a scrap or an offcut and want to test it, our guide to simple tests for identifying real leather covers which tests are worth doing.

Buying online: what to check and ask

Online, you cannot touch the edge, so the listing has to do the work.

1. Read the material line, not the product name. One store lists a "Black Faux Leather Blazer for Women" whose page states 0.8-0.9 mm sheepskin leather and a faux fur lining. The same store shows one nappa jacket under different names in the URL and the title, while its material line stays the same.
2. Look for the hide and the layer. A description of the finish or close photos of the actual leather tell more than a grade name.
3. Ask the seller. Which animal? Which layer? Which finish? Is any part non-leather? The store blog recommends asking the seller directly.

Finish names like nappa describe how leather feels or was finished, so ask what sits under the name.

Real leather that still confuses buyers

Some real leather has the traits other guides blame on fakes. Bicast leather is split leather coated with polyurethane or vinyl and embossed to look like grain. A restorer notes that the finish topcoat on real leather can also peel.

So peeling alone does not prove an item is fake. Read does real leather peel? before you judge by flaking.

Practice on leather that names its hide

A good way to train your eye is to compare listings that state the hide. The Leather Collection men's leather jackets range says each product page names its leather, whether cowhide, sheepskin, lambskin or goatskin.

Once you know what you are holding, our comparison of faux leather vs real leather helps you choose.

FAQ

What does faux leather mean?

Faux leather is artificial leather, also sold as leatherette, imitation leather, vegan leather, PU leather or pleather. It is usually a PVC or polyurethane coating on a fabric layer.

What is the symbol for fake leather?

No single worldwide symbol exists. EU shoe labels use pictograms or words for leather, coated leather, textile and other materials. In the US, hide-shaped tags should not be used on non-leather products.

How can you tell if a shoe is leather?

Read the label part by part: upper, lining and sock, and outersole. A shoe can have a leather upper and a manmade lining, and the label should say so.

What is the lowest quality of leather called?

The sources behind this guide give no single quality ladder. "Genuine leather" is not a grade, and bonded leather should not be sold as plain leather in the US.